A Lesson from a Good Friend!

I recently had the opportunity to spend some time with a great friend on a travel expedition, that allowed us to really get to know each other and allowed us some “fine dining” opportunities. I must explain that this friend has had a form of “bariatric” surgery which involved placing a band around the top of her stomach, commonly called LAP-BAND. Bariatric refers to the treatment of obesity. This is a surgery done to restrict how much food a stomach can hold at any time. It also prevents the digestive system from absorbing all the nutrition in the food you eat and the surgery can have a positive effect on weight loss. It was an interesting time to spend with this friend when it came to eating, because I have lived a life that most busy moms share of eating whenever and where ever it’s possible and literally inhaling my food every time I eat!

It was a real eye opener to eat every meal with this friend as she was forced to slow down, chew properly and eat only a quarter to half of every meal we ordered. Guess what? I got to do the same thing! It was simply wonderful to also do these three simple things and actually enjoy every bite of my meal. However, I will admit that I didn’t stop at only half my meals or slow down nearly as much as she did, I managed to enjoy just about the entire meal of everything we ordered. Shhhh, and I loved every bite.

Anyhow, as you can imagine we talked a lot about health and eating. She made a profound statement about her surgery and what she’s discovered from having this surgery that has stuck with me since our discussion. She told me that when she decided to have the surgery, she had it stuck in her mind that it would help her to lose weight and become healthy. However, she has since learned that having this surgery is not about becoming healthier at all! Yes, it’s helped her to lose weight but becoming healthy was not addressed by the band around her stomach.

You see, just because you have a band around your stomach that forces you to eat less, it doesn’t mean that you are going to eat better and it sure doesn’t make you get up and start exercising or stop doing other unhealthy habits either. She has learned that weight loss is one thing but getting “healthier” is something completely different. Don’t get me wrong; with weight loss there will naturally be improved health issues but as we all know that being healthy isn’t only about being skinny.

I can remember talking to her a few months ago after she had mentioned that she had come to a plateau with her weight loss and I suggested that she get back to her exercise routine, because she hadn’t been exercising regularly since the surgery and I knew that exercise would increase her caloric burn and break that plateau. Some other issues that I’d been hearing her talk about included her bad back, achy joints, lack of energy, not sleeping well, being under a lot of stress, not able to walk as far as she wanted, etc. Every one of these issues would be helped by getting back to exercise and exercise would help her to become healthier, which had become her goal. It’s all good! Because she has gotten back to her strength training and cardiovascular routine, so now she just fusses about her sore muscles. I love it!

I hesitate to discuss the motivating factors behind individuals making the decision to have a bariatric procedure, because I just don’t understand. I haven’t been there and don’t know the why’s behind the decisions. I think it’s simple, just slow down, chew properly and only eat a half of your meal (a lesson from a good friend!). Why have surgery to force you into that kind of eating habit? However, in the same breath I totally understand her realization about what makes a person healthier and her disappointment of not achieving it through the surgery. Like I mentioned earlier, it was a profound statement, a profound realization and I am proud of her for knowing that it’s not about being skinny, it’s about being healthy! She is now on the right track and will be healthy when she gets to her desired weight. I think this is a lesson for all of us!

 

Deborah Holmes

July 22, 2008